The Life and Times of Juniper Lee [Animated TV Series] (2005)

Similar in tone to the Disney Channel's American Dragon: Jake Long, the half-hour animated series The Life and Times of Juniper Lee boasted a strong Asian-American female character in the leading role. A resident of Orchid Bay City, 11-year-old Juniper "June" Lee was typical in every respect save one. Because of her noble heritage and supernatural powers, June was expected to assume the mantle of Te Xuan Ze, and as such was required to protect the world from such paranormal predators as ghosts, demons, mummies, evil gnomes, nasty leprechauns, and other denizens of the Other Realm. Thing of it was, only June was able to see these antagonists, so she had quite a time explaining her periodic absences from her home and from school to those who weren't "in the know." Other characters included June's wise old grandmother Ah Mah, the former Te Xuan Ze; her parents Mr. and Mrs. Lee, who were a bit jealous that June's special skills had skipped a generation and bypassed them; her obnoxious kid brother Ray Ray, who aspired to be a demon fighter just like sis; her older brother Dennis, who, because he hadn't inherited June's magical powers was totally clueless as to her mission in life, and who spent all his waking hours indulging in L.A.R.P. (live action role-playing); June's cynical dog Monroe, who spoke in a Scottish burr; her friend Ophelia, a goth-girl wannabe and magician in training; Jodi, June's best friend; Marcus, the junior-high jock for whom June carried a torch; and Roger, the standard-issue class nerd and computer geek. Created by comic book writer Judd Winick, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee offset its bizarre trappings with down-to-earth sarcastic humor and sly inside jokes. The series made its Cartoon Network bow on May 30, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi